multiple PhD student positions and a Post-doc position, The Dynamic and Distributed Information Systems Group at the University of Zurich (Switzerland)

The Dynamic and Distributed Information Systems Group at the University of Zurich (Switzerland) is inviting applications for

multiple PhD student positions and a Post-doc position

with a keen interest in at least one of the following areas:

• Social Computing, Crowdsourcing
• Semantic Web, Graph Processing
• Big Data
• Heterogenous Data Processing
• Artificial Intelligence

The PhD students will be supervised by Prof. Abraham Bernstein. The focus of the research activities will be in the broad areas of distributed data processing on the Semantic Web or social computing / crowdsourcing and will be linked with a number of new and existing research projects (including ViSTA-TV, CrowdLang, Signal/Collect). Most projects in the group are funded by research foundations such as the Swiss National Science Foundation, the EC, or the HaslerStiftung.

Offer:

• a team of young and highly motivated colleagues who are passionate about research
• a work environment that is well equipped with the newest hardware and software technology
• a competitive salary (annually about 55'000-60'000CHF/~55',000€ for PhD students; 80'000-90'000CHF/~81'000€ for postdocs)
• strong support for your personal development and career planning
• an attractive work environment both within the research group and beyond: the University of Zurich is one of Switzerland's leading universities in the middle of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city that regularly ranks as one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world
• A highly successful PhD program with graduates at top rated institutions world-wide

You have:

• a master's degree in informatics, computer science, information systems (or an equivalent university study) for the PhD student position and a PhD degree for the postdoc position.
• strong analytical/mathematical skills
• expertise in database systems, Semantic Web / Linked Data, HCI, or economics is helpful.
• good programming skills in several languages
• an interest in applying computer science research to real-world problems
• excellent command of English; German is a plus but not required

If you fit the profile, are able to work in a team, like challenging tasks, and are passionate about research then we would love to hear from you. To apply for one of the positions, please send a detailed curriculum vitae, all grade transcripts, selected publications (if available), a list of at least three references, and your BSc/MSc theses in one PDF file by email to
Prof. Abraham Bernstein, Ph.D.
Department of Informatics
University of Zurich, Switzerland
http://www.ifi.uzh.ch/ddis/people/bernstein/
Email: ddisjobs "at" lists "dot" ifi "dot" uzh "dot" ch

Additionally, applicants may arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to Prof. Bernstein directly, however, this is not required.

All applications received until March 1^st, 2016 will be considered for the positions. Applications received afterwards will be considered until all positions are filled.

The University of Zurich is committed to enhancing the number of women in scientific positions and, therefore, particularly invites women to apply. Women who are as qualified for the position in question as male applicants will be given priority.

Post-Doctor in Informatics with Specialization in Software Testing, Sweden

The position is offered within the area of Informatics which at the University of Skövde is defined as the study of how information is represented, processed and communicated in artificial and natural systems, as well as how IT systems are used and developed to ensure usability for individuals, organizations or society. The positon has a specialization in Software Testing, which at the University of Skövde is part of Computer Science and entails study of basic theory and methodology for testing software. The concept includes, among other aspects, test design, test coverage criteria and test analysis, as well as complexity, algorithms and programming.

Application deadline: March 8th, 2016Reference number: HS 2016/87

This position mainly concerns research. The research is conducted within the TOCSYC project, a distributed research environment with focus on testing of critical system properties. The research environment extends over several universities and a research institute.
As a Postdoc in the project you will be involved in research and development of effective and efficient methods to test non-functional properties such as performance efficiency and robustness, in embedded systems using model-based and mutation-based approaches. The area of research can partly be adapted to the expertise of the applicant.

Collaboration between the partners in TOCSYC is close, which means that flexibility and willingness to collaborate are paramount. As a Postdoc in the project you will connect two work packages within the distributed research environment, at University of Skövde and Mälardalen University, and thus contribute to the coupling between these nodes in the area of model-based testing and mutation-based testing.

TOCSYC provides a strong international research-intensive environment with focus on testing non-functional properties in embedded systems, which is a critical issue for the Swedish export industry. You can read more about TOCSYC at www.tocsyc.se.

Qualification requirements

The qualification requirements are:

• PhD in Informatics or equivalent subject or have a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, and have obtained the PhD not longer than three years prior to the application deadline. If there are special circumstances the PhD could have been obtained earlier

• ability to communicate well, orally and in writing, in English.

Bases of evaluation
In addition to the qualification requirements, the bases of evaluation for this position are:

• Degree of proficiency that is required for the employment (see the qualification requirements).

• Good collaboration ability.

• Good knowledge in software testing.

• Good knowledge in mutation analysis.

• Good knowledge in programming.

• Good knowledge in UML.

For this position, special emphasis will be placed upon good collaboration ability and good knowledge in software testing.

The University of Skövde strives towards ethnical and cultural diversity and equal gender distribution within all employment categories. As the majority of the employees in the research environment are men, the University especially invites women to apply for this position.

The position as Post-Doctor is fulltime and done accordingly to the collective agreement between the Swedish Agency for Government Employers OFR-S, SACO-S and SEKO. The position is a temporary position for two years.

Your application

Your application must be marked with the reference number and provided to the Registrar, University of Skövde, Box 408, SE-541 28 Skövde, Sweden or by e-mail to registrator@his.se no later than deadline. The application must be submitted with an attested list of qualifications, certificate of degree and other certificates, a brief written account of scientific, pedagogical and other activities, a list of (all) publications and the work referred to, no more than five scientific publications (a minimum of two published during the last three years). Information about employment at the University is provided in our Terms of Employment (Anställningsordning).

Source

PhD Student Position in Elastic Resource Allocation for Query Optimization IRIT Lab, France

PhD Student Position in Elastic Resource Allocation for Query Optimization

IRIT Lab. (https://www.irit.fr/) - Pyramid Team - Paul Sabatier University - Toulouse - France Supervisor’s Names : Abdelkader Hameurlain (hameurlain@irit.fr) and Shaoyi Yin (Shaoyi.yin@irit.fr).

Pyramid Team (Dynamic Query Optimization in Large-scale Distributed Environments ; https://www.irit.fr/-Equipe-PYRAMIDE-) is likely to get a PhD scholarship for 3 years (Doctoral School MITT, http://www.edmitt.ups-tlse.fr/).

Context

In parallel and distributed large-scale environments (Cluster, Grid, Cloud), the Pyramid team addresses the main problems of query processing and optimization, targeting large volumes of data distributed in large scale. To manage a huge amount of data there are two approaches : parallel database systems and cloud systems (e.g. Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, HDFS). The parallel database systems have been an important success, both in research in the early 90s and now in industry. They have enabled many applications handling large data volumes to meet their requirements in terms of performance (e.g. Response Time) and resource availability. It is recognized that parallel database systems are very expensive and require having high level skills within the company to administer the systems and databases. As for cloud systems, they allow a company to reduce these costs in term of infrastructure either by purchasing a server comprised of low-cost commodity machines or by renting a service in pay-per-use. Public Clouds provide on demand resources and services with advantages of scalability and elasticity. However, elasticity paradigm raises a new challenge regarding the design of efficient and profitable resource allocation models.

PhD Subject : Elastic Resource Allocation for Query Optimization

The objective is to design and develop an elastic resource allocation model for query optimization. In fact, the allocated resources (on the provider side) should increase or decrease in accordance with the demand of services (on the tenants side), in order to maintain a QoS and to meet the SLAs (Service Level Agreement). The main criteria of QoS taken into account are the performance (e.g. query response time) and the availability of services (e.g. data availability). As for the SLA, a kind of provider-consumer contract, it specifies a set of constraints to meet and objectives to reach, in terms of performance or service availability. The main challenge is to find the best trade-off between the tenants’ satisfaction in terms of QoS and the providers gain in terms of profitable resource management.

Requirements :

Distributed and Parallel Systems, Database Systems, Query Processing and Optimization, Cost Models, Cloud Systems, Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, Programming Languages (C, C++, Java, Python, ...).

The application should include following documents (PDF format, see : http://www.edmitt.ups-tlse.fr/).

1- CV mentioning all your degrees
2- Motivation letter from the applicant explaining his/her choice of the proposed thesis subject
3- Recommendation letters
4- Details of your grades since you started higher education with ranking.

Applications in digital form (pdf) should be sent to : hameurlain@irit.fr

Application Deadline : February 8th, 2016

Start Date : September 1st, 2016.

Remuneration : the PhD Scholarship is approximatively 1684 Euros (Gross).
Once the candidate is selected by Pyramid team, he/she will be auditioned by a committee.

Source Annoucement

Graduate Student Grant Competition, Stanford University

March 28, 2016 - April 15, 2016

Twice per academic year (Fall and Spring), The Europe Center invites applications from graduate and professional students at Stanford University whose research or work focuses on Europe. Funds are available for Ph.D. candidates across a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences to prepare for dissertation research and to conduct research on approved dissertation projects. The Europe Center also supports early graduate students who wish to determine the feasibility of a dissertation topic or acquire training relevant for that topic. Additionally, funds are available for professional students whose interests focus on some aspect of European politics, economics, history, or culture; the latter may be used to support an internship or a research project.  Travel on this grant must be completed by October 1, 2016.  Grants range from $500 to $5000.

A brief written report of the experience must be submitted at the completion of the project. Recipients may be asked to offer a seminar or presentation of their project results when they return to the Stanford campus. Any publication or public presentations resulting from their projects should acknowledge the support of “The Europe Center at Stanford University.”

Application Information:

•     Spring Competition Application Period Opens:  Monday, March 28, 2016.
•     Spring Competition Application Deadline:  Friday, April 15, 2016.
•     Applicants must submit a completed online application form including cover letter, written description of project description, budget, resume, unofficial transcript of Stanford courses, and attestation of proficiency in the language(s) of the project site.
•     There are no citizenship restrictions on these grants.
•     Winners will be notified by Monday, May 2, 2016.
•     If you have questions about The Europe Center’s support of student research, please contact Professor Ken Scheve at scheve@stanford.edu.

Restrictions to Use of Grant:

The Europe Center reserves the right to audit the use of its funds. Recipients are advised to keep a log of all expenses associated with their projects, and to save all receipts in case an audit is requested for any reason. If recipients travel under the award, submission of the used airline ticket upon completion of the project may be required.

Stanford University policy requires that certain types of research projects involving human subjects be reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to the start of the study to ensure that the project meets University policy and any other applicable regulations. To see if your project needs to be reviewed, for advice on working with human subjects, and for more information about the IRB process and requirements please visit http://humansubjects.stanford.edu/.

Fellowship Coordinator

Karen Haley

616 Serra Street
Encina Hall
Stanford, CA 94305-6165
(650) 724-9656 (voice)
(650) 723-0089 (fax)
khaley@stanford.edu

Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Distinguished Fellowship on Contemporary Southeast Asia, USA

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Stanford University (Stanford) are pleased to announce that applications are welcome between now and 1 March 2016 for the 2016 Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Distinguished Fellowship on Southeast Asia. Interested individuals with backgrounds or positions in the social sciences or humanities are encouraged to apply. Candidates may be of any nationality or seniority.

One or two candidates may be awarded fellowships. A successful candidate will spend two or three months at NUS and two or three months at Stanford, writing and conducting research on, or related to, contemporary Southeast Asia.  Fellows will also have opportunities to speak and take part in seminars and workshops organized by relevant campus units. In determining the overall length of the fellowship and the sequencing of the stays at each campus, the preferences of the fellow concerned will be taken into account.

Fellowships will normally begin and end within the period from 1 June 2016 to 31 August 2017. Each fellowship will cover one roundtrip economy-class airfare from the fellow’s country of residence to NUS (or Stanford), continuing on to Stanford (or NUS), and returning from Stanford (or NUS) to the fellow’s country of residence, and will include a stipend of US$ 7500 per month during the fellowship period.

Applicants should submit the following six (6) items:

1. a project statement (not exceeding three pages) that addresses the candidate’s research project’s central analytic question(s), explains its intellectual contribution to scholarship on Southeast Asia, and describes the writing and research envisaged during the fellowship. The statement should also clearly state the specific research outcomes envisaged.
2. a detailed schedule of the proposed fellowship period including dates of anticipated residence at NUS and at Stanford.
3. a sample of published, English-language work by the candidate that is directly or indirectly related to the research project.
4. the candidate’s full curriculum vitae including a list of publications.
5. full contact information, including email addresses, for three (3) academic referees who should be able, if asked, to evaluate the proposal and the candidate.
6. full contact information for the applicant including an email address.

Complete applications are due by 1 March 2016.  Results will be announced no later than late April 2016.

Applications should be sent simultaneously to both NUS and Stanford at these addresses:

NUS - Lee Kong Chian NUS-SU Initiative on Southeast Asia, Research Division, Dean’s Office, FASS, National University of Singapore, The Shaw Foundation Building, 5 Arts Link, Block AS7, Level 6, Singapore 117570
Email: nusstanfordsea@nus.edu.sg; tel: (65) 6516 7035; fax: (65) 6773 6878
Website: http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/research/nusstanfordsea/

Stanford - Lee Kong Chian NUS-SU Initiative on Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia Program, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Encina Hall E-301, Stanford University, 616 Serra Street, Stanford, CA 94305-6055, USA
Email: llee888@stanford.edu; tel: (650) 725 2429; fax: (650) 650 723 6530
Website: http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/fellowships/nus_stanford

Please direct all queries to nusstanfordsea@nus.edu.sg or llee888@stanford.edu.

Fellowship Coordinator

Lisa Lee

Shorenstein APARC
Stanford University
Encina Hall, Room E301
Stanford, CA 94305-6055
(650) 725-2429 (voice)
(650) 723-6530 (fax)
llee888@stanford.edu

Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund PhD Scholarships, India

The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund formally came into being when a National Committee consisting of 110 members was convened in New Delhi on 17 August 1964 under the Chairmanship of Dr S. Radhakrishnan, then President of India.

In Dr S. Radhakrishnan’s words “The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund is a symbol of our determination to keep burning the torch that he has left to us. Let us make it a symbol worthy both of our regard and affection for him and of all that he has so generously bequeathed to us.”

During these long years of its existence the Fund has undertaken a number of activities, all aimed at protecting and propagating the memory and message of the life of one of India’s greatest sons.

 

The scholarships are available for Ph.D. study in India to the following categories of students:

• Indian Nationals
• Nationals of other Asian countries

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION/SUBJECT

A candidate may apply for scholarship in any one of the following areas of specialisation:

• Indian History and Civilization
• Sociology
• Comparative Studies in Religion & Culture
• Economics
• Geography
• Philosophy
• Ecology & Environment

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

At the time of making the application for scholarship, a candidate should

• Hold a FIRST Class Post-graduate degree with a minimum 60% marks in aggregate in both graduate and post graduate level,
• Already be registered/admitted for Ph.D. degree with a recognized University/Institution in India. Those who have applied for registration and have not yet been registered at the time of submission of application, are not eligible to apply,
• Not be above 35 years of age,
• Be a full-time Ph.D. Scholar

DURATION OF SCHOLARSHIP

Upto 2 years.

VALUE OF SCHOLARSHIP FOR BOTH THE CATEGORIES

• Maintenance allowance including Tuition fee - Rs.18,000 per month
• Contingent expenses for study tours within India, purchase of books, stationery, etc. – Rs.15,000 per annum

JNMF Scholarship - Application form

The application form for scholarships for doctoral studies is available.Click here to download
Please click here to down the Information Sheet.

Source

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship programme (LExS), Netherland

For excellent Non-EU/EEA students enrolling in a Leiden University master's degree programme and for excellent students of all nationalities enrolling in a Master of Law Advanced Programme or MSc in International Relations & Diplomacy.

For whom?

LExS awards ceremony 2014

1. Non-EU/EEA students enrolling in a Leiden University master's degree programme starting September 2016 or February 2017.
   All MA, MSc and LLM programmes that are mentioned on the website Master's programmes in Leiden are eligible for LExS, but note that some programmes have a start date in September only.
   
   
2. Students of all nationalities enrolling in the Advanced Master programmes in the list below starting September 2016 or February 2017. 
   Note that the programmes listed below have a September start date only, with the exception of Advanced Studies in Air & Space Law:
    
   

   Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in Air & Space Law Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in European & International Business Law  Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in International Tax Law  Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in Public International Law  Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in International Civil & Commercial Law  Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in Law & Digital Technologies Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in European Tax Law Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in European & International Human Rights Law Master of Laws: Advanced Studies in International Children's Rights MSc in International Relations & Diplomacy

Additional requirements

1. In his or her prior academic education abroad, the applicant must have achieved excellent study results which are relevant for the programme for which the student wishes to enrol. As an indication, the student will be among the top 10% for the relevant programme followed abroad. We do not need proof of this, it is just to indicate the competitiveness of the scholarship.
   
   
2. The applicant will hold a non-EU/EEA passport and will not be eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans ("Studiefinanciering"; more information). This requirement does not apply to applicants who apply for a LExS for programmes mentioned under point 2 "For whom".
   
   
3. Scholarships will not be awarded to applicants who have already obtained a Leiden University master’s degree with the exception of students applying for a Master programme for which a specified previous Master programme or work experience is mandatory (the LLM advanced masters qualify as such).
   
   
4. Students who are granted a LExS must comply with and confirm in writing their agreement with the Rules and Regulations attached to the scholarship prior to the granting of the scholarship.

Scholarship Amount

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship programme has three awards: 

• € 10.000 of the tuition fee
  
  
  
• € 15.000 of the tuition fee
  
  
  
• Total tuition fee minus the statutory tuition fee
  
  

The number and type of award of the scholarship depends on the budget available for each Faculty department. The type of award has no reflection on the students' academic level of excellence. Please be aware that the LExS is not a full scholarship.

Application procedure for February 2016/ September 2016 intake

 Further Information / Online Application